Spain Pressures Portugal to Cancel Morocco-Bound Ferry Route Amid Diplomatic Tensions

Is Spain in turn punishing Morocco? Under pressure from the Iberian peninsula, Portugal has canceled the crossing of Moroccans residing abroad (MREs) from the port in southern Portugal to Tangier. The Spanish authorities would have threatened to block the passage of Portuguese ships transiting through its ports, reports i24news.

Contrary to previous years - except 2020 when the operation was canceled -, Morocco excluded its northern neighbor from Marhaba 2021. A decision that negatively impacts the Spanish economy. The three main Spanish ports will record a huge loss of revenue. In 2020, the cancellation of the Marhaba operation had generated a loss of several hundred millions of euros for Algeciras, Almería and Tarifa. In 2019, these ports recorded 894,891, 280,312 and 271,554 passengers respectively.